Tipperary have breezed into the knockout stages of the Championship after yet another comprehensive victory.
And after gaining revenge on Clare at Cusack Park after they dumped them out of last year’s Championship, Tipp are all but in a Munster final with a game to spare as their very healthy scoring difference means that they’re unlikely to be pushed out of the top two spots.
It’s been quite the turnaround under Liam Sheedy after they exited last year’s Championship without a single victory from four games.
The result was Clare’s first home Championship defeat since losing a qualifier to Galway in 2009 and their first loss at Cusack Park in the Munster Championship in 29 years.
This setback leaves them very much on the back foot as they travel to face All-Ireland champions Limerick next Sunday before Cork come to Ennis the following weekend.
Tipperary played with the considerable wind behind them in the opening half but it wasn’t until Noel McGrath’s 23rd minute goal that really took hold of a game, with little to choose between the sides up to that point.
After Seamus Callanan had caught David Fitzgerald in possession, McGrath fed his brother John, who he spilled the ball back into his path and the midfielder prodded the ball to the net.
John already had a point to his name by then but he added three more before half-time and Noel tagged on another two as Tipp’s lead stretched to eight points at one stage before Peter Duggan slotted a couple of frees to bring Clare back within six, 1-14 to 0-11, at the break.
It appeared to be a manageable deficit from a Clare point of view, such was the strength of the breeze, but as it turned out, they were blown away in the second half.
The game effectively died as a contest with Seamus Callanan’s 40th minute goal, a fortunate one after Jason Forde’s free rebounded off the post and fell into his lap.
The Clare challenge collapsed from there with their forward line all at sea, albeit they were poorly serviced up front, as Tipp streaked clear and Patrick Maher ensured that it would be a rout with the third goal with 20 minutes still remaining.
Clare only managed six points in the second half despite playing with the elements, four of them frees, as Tipp cantered to victory and now enjoy a two-week break before Limerick come to Thurles.
CLARE: D Tuohy; D McInerney, P O’Connor, S Morey; C Malone, J Browne, D Fitzgerald (0-1); S Golden (0-1), C Galvin; D Ryan (0-1), T Kelly (0-3, 0-2f), P Duggan (0-9, 0-8f); S O’Donnell, J Conlon, P Collins (0-1).
Subs: C Cleary for Morey (52), A McCarthy (0-1) for Duggan (57), G Cooney for Conlon (60), A Shanagher for O’Donnell (65), R Taylor for Golden (68).
TIPPERARY: B Hogan; A Flynn, B Heffernan, C Barrett; R Maher, B Maher (0-1), Padraic Maher; N McGrath (1-2), M Breen; D McCormack, J O’Dwyer (0-1), Patrick Maher (1-2); J Forde (0-6f), S Callanan (1-3), J McGrath (0-6).
Subs: W Connors for Breen (56), J Morris for O’Dwyer (61), R Byrne for R Maher (67), G Browne for McCormack (68).
REFEREE: A Kelly (Galway).
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